


Home for Christmas

by Brokenrook



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Hockey, M/M, NHL RPF, Pittsburgh Penguins, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 23:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13258629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brokenrook/pseuds/Brokenrook
Summary: The one where Sid is complete shit at both emotions and Christmas, and Geno is only shit at one of those things.





	Home for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I know it's January, but here's a Christmas story anyway.

_  
Breathe._

_Just breathe._

Sid tries to calm the frantic beating of his heart, even though he knew the minutes were counting down.

_Just freaking do it._

He told himself, scrunching his eyes shut.

_Don't let them down._

With that thought he forced his eyes open and focused on the ice in front of him.

And then to the legs of the ladder that were embedded in said ice and propped against his house. And then to the pitiful box of Christmas lights at his feet.

Sidney cursed out loud as he knelt to begin untangling the Christmas lights.

Why did his family think it was okay to give him a bloody day's notice that they were getting on a plane to celebrate Christmas in Pittsburgh this year because he couldn't come back to Nova Scotia? It was going to be a train wreck. He could feel it in his bones.

First of all; Sid had never actually decorated for Christmas by himself. Sure he had helped his parents before by hanging stockings or holding the ladder for his father, but he really had no clue how to manage it on his own.

Secondly, he had until his family's plane lands in six hours. Six hours to decorate, to actually find decorations to decorate with,to fill the fridge with food that his family would eat, and to wrap the presents he had planned to mail to them.

The final task, arguably the most daunting of them all, was to make it all look natural. He had to convince his mother that he had a life outside of hockey, which is easier said than done considering Sidney really didn't have a life outside of his career. He didn't have hobbies, he didn't have interests, and he didn't have a significant other. Hockey was his hobby; it is what he is interested in, and frankly, he didn't have time for a girlfriend or a boyfriend. If only his mother could understand that. Then he wouldn't be standing in the ankle deep slush Pittsburgh had the audacity to call snow trying to hang multi coloured lights on his roof.

With a defeated sigh Sid slung the lights onto his shoulder and started up the ladder.

Honestly Sidney didn't even know he owned a ladder until today, but he supposed that his father had given it to him at some time for some birthday or Christmas. He was always like that; giving gifts that were useful, not gifts that were pretty, but gifts that had a purpose. He liked that about his father. His father understood that life didn't need to be complicated. He understood that houses didn't need Christmas lights, that mistletoe didn't have to hang in the doorways, and that Sidney definitely did not need a significant other.

Okay, maybe the last one was just Sidney talking, but it was still a reasonable point.

Though maybe it wasn't such a good point, considering that it distracted Sidney from the obvious instability of the step he was about to put his considerable bulk onto.

Multiple things happened at once.

The step made a sickening crack; a noise that could be likened to the sound of a thousand old men popping their arthritic fingers in succession, and then promptly broke like a brittle chicken bone.

And then Sid found himself standing on nothing, or more accurately, he found himself dangling from the eaves.

Well, shit.

With a little bit of thrashing Sid pulled himself up onto the tar shingles of the roof, silently thanking every trainer he had ever had for harping on him to build upper body strength. As he sat/sprawled on his roof Sid tried to slow his heart down to a more natural rhythm, and then assessed the situation.

During his thrashing to pull himself onto the roof the ladder had taken a blow and now was lying on the ground five metres below his shoes.

_Fuck._

He was trapped.

Sid quickly realized that there was no way in hell he was going to stay on this roof for five hours waiting for his parents to arrive and free him. No, there was no way he was going to let his family see him trapped up here. His sister would never let him live it down. Also it was cold. This left Sid with one decision; phone someone to come get him down.

Though that proved more difficult than he thought it would be.

Except he didn't really expect anyone to answer, it was like 12:30 in the morning on Christmas Day _._ No one was awake.

 _No one except me._ Sid thought gloomily as he got Flower's answering machine for the eighth time. Flicking through his contacts for the hundredth time trying to find someone who could come to his rescue, Sid glanced at his battery percentage.

5%.

_Double Fuck._

At best he had enough juice for one phone call. Who was he going to pin his hopes of not getting frostbite on?

Throwing caution to the wind, Sid scrolled down to the Ms. To the last number he had left.

_Evgeni Malkin._

Sid could not believe he was doing what he was doing as he was doing it. He was phoning Geno to be his knight in shining armour. He was wasting his final phone call on the man most likely to believe he was being set up for some massive prank and laugh before calling Sidney a name in Russian that loosely translated to lazy criminal. Or sweet bastard. Sidney had never fully understood that one.

Well, lazy criminal or sweet bastard, Sid now needed Geno's help so he prayed to every god he could think of to make his annoyingly adorable friend answer his phone.

And on the second last ring some angel in the sky took pity and answered Sidney's prayers.

"Hello?" Geno's voice was so full of sleep that Sidney seriously thought about hanging up because it would not be safe to even suggest that Geno drive a motor vehicle, but he also knew it was also not very safe to sit on a roof for six hours in the middle of the winter.

"Hello! Geno!"

"Sid?" There was a loud groan on the other end of the phone. "Do you not own watch? Have all that money, but never buy watch? Is early Sid, very early. I am sleeping."

"Yes I know-"

He was cut off.

"You know? Then why phone? Why you wake me up on Christmas? Do you hate me? Hanging up now."

"No!" Sidney felt his heart start it's gymnastic routine again. "I need your help, this is serious! I need you to come to my house as fast as possible. This is an emergency!"

The other end was silent for a second.

"Emergency? Sid not okay?" Geno's sleep addled brain was working too hard for the morning he was having. "Why phone me?"

"You are the only person I knew would answer!" Sid ground out. "Please just hurry!"

There was a huff on the other end of the line "Fine. Leaving now."

"Thank y-"

Sid was cut off by the dial tone.

With a sigh, he hung up his nearly dead phone and put his head in his hands. Geno better not be screwing with him.

 

* * *

 

Geno was not screwing with him.

Exactly thirteen minutes later Sidney watched as a black Chevy rounded the corner and came to a halt in front of his sidewalk. After a second a tree of a man hauled himself out of the driver's seat, still dressed in pajamas, and lumbered up the sidewalk, before stopping dead in his tracks when his eyes moved from the front door he had intended to knock on to Sidney's accidental perch on the roof.

For a few seconds there was silence. Geno blinked slowly up at Sid, like he was a mirage and if he blinked enough he would disappear. No such luck.

"Hey Sidney." Geno raised his hand and gave a little wave.

Shocked at how calmly Geno was taking his current predicament, Sidney found himself at a loss for the words he needs. 

All he could manage was a weak: "Hi Geno."

"Why?" Geno scrunched up his caterpillar eyebrows. "Why are you on roof?"

Sid resisted to the urge to roll his eyes, clearly Geno didn't have all cylinders firing. "I was hanging Christmas lights and the ladder fell."

"Oh." Geno blinked a couple of times then looked at the ladder then back at Sid. "Why you hang lights now? It is Christmas, have to take them down soon."

Sid was quickly losing patience with his Russian friend. "Do-does it matter? Just please get me down."

"Can't get down by yourself?"

"No!" Sid tried to pull himself off the edge of losing his shit on Geno. "Please...just please tip the ladder back, that's all I need and then you can go back to bed."

"I don't understand why knock over ladder if you want to climb down?"

"I didn't mean to Geno!!" Sid shouted, "Oh for the love of god, wake up!"

With a sudden surge of rage Sidney packed a handful of the snowy slush off the roof into a ball and threw it point blank at Geno's dumbstruck face.

The icy slush hit its target with terrible accuracy, stunning Geno for a second. Then he wiped his face, blinked the particles off his lashes, and laughed.

"Is that how you treat knight in shining armour?" Geno shook his head. "Sid can't take joke."

Sidney's eyes grew wide. "You were faking it?"

Geno nodded as he laughed.

"Oh." Sid found himself turning a bit red.

"It's okay, I get you down now." Geno propped the ladder up against the house and stabilized it with his hands. "Okay I have it, climb down, won't fall this time."

Sid snorted and started down the ladder.

On the fourth step from the bottom, Sid encountered the substance that had become his enemy of the day: ice.

The layer was thin, barely even there, but it was still more than enough for Sidney to completely lose his footing again and go windmilling off the ladder.

Sid braced himself for hitting the disgusting slush on the ground, but never hit it.

Instead, he found himself wrapped in a parka bear hug on top of Geno, who was lying in the slush.Geno had caught him and Sid's falling force had sent him to the ground.

For a second stayed where he was, soaking in the feeling of being held and the warmth of Geno's arms, but then he realized the exact predicament he was in, and scrambled off as quickly as possible.

"Sorry Geno." He stammered, getting to his feet and then offering him a hand up.

Geno took the hand. "No apology, you didn't mean to be klutz."

"No, but I also took you out when I slipped, you could've been hurt."

Geno grunted. "You could've hurt falling. I am strong, big man. Sid smaller, more delicate. I maybe be hurt. Sid definitely be hurt."

Sid huffed. "I'm not delicate."

"Sure." Geno gave Sid a shit eating grin.

"Jerk." 

Geno laughed as he tried and failed to brush the slush off himself, then shivered.

"Lets get inside, and get you some dry clothes." Sid led him into the house.

"Your clothes won't fit." Geno objected as he followed Sid up the stairs towards the master bedroom.

"Of course not." Sid rummaged through his dresser for a moment and came up with a hoodie and a pair of blue jeans. "But these will."

Geno took the hoodie and pants with suspicion, though it quickly melted away to surprise. 

"Hey! This is my hoodie! And my jeans! I look everywhere for these! You had them?"

Sid looked down at his shoes. "Do you remember that barbecue you had last year? In the middle of May? The one where Flower pushed me into the pool? I was soaked to the bone. You gave me these to wear home. I guess they just made it into my stuff in the laundry."

Geno smirked. "I remember pool accident. Laughed for weeks."

"Oh just go get changed!" Sid pushed the clothes at his chest and left the bedroom. "I'll be downstairs when you are done."

* * *

 

After getting changed, Geno found Sidney sitting in the breakfast nook nursing a mug of something hot. Another mug sat across the table from his worn out captain, its steam terribly inviting to Geno's cold bones. He sat down and took a deep pull from the mug.

Black tea with a little sugar. 

Geno held back a smile. Sid had remembered.

For a few minutes they sat in companionable silence, until Geno could not bear it any longer.

"Why you hang Christmas lights? Want real answer this time."

Leaning back in his chair, Sid heaved a great sigh, then pushed a hand through his dark hair. "My family decided to surprise me and have Christmas here this year because I couldn't go back to Nova Scotia. Their plane lands in-" He checked the oven clock. "five hours."

"Oh. But why decorate? Family knows you didn't expect them. They know you are very busy"

"Because I want my mother to think I have a life outside of hockey. She is always telling me I have to have something else because hockey won't always be there." Sid sighed again.

"But you don't have  life outside of hockey." Geno pointed out quite simply. "You are Sidney Crosby: hockey god. Not Sidney Crosby: hockey god who knits tea cosies. Though you really need hobby, something to destress. Or if no hobby, at least girlfriend."

"I don't have time for a hobby, or a girlfriend. I don't even  _want_ a girlfriend! I just want my mother to stop worrying about me!" 

There was silence for a moment, both a little shocked by how sudden Sid's outburst was, and how desperate he sounded. 

Then Geno slug down the last of his tea and stood up. 

For a second Sidney thought he was going to leave without a word, but then Geno looked down at him with a strange determination in his eyes.

"Where do you keep Christmas tree?" He asked simply.

"What?"

"Christmas tree. You had a fake one last year when you host team Christmas party. Where did you store it?"

"I-in the garage." Sid stuttered a little, not a hundred percent sure what Geno was up to.

"Okay." Geno started off towards the garage.

"Wait!"

Geno did not wait. 

"What are you doing?" Sid shouted down the hall at Geno's back.

"Helping you lie to your mother." Geno shouted back, not even bothering to turn around.

* * *

 

Geno found the tree stuffed in the back corner of the garage, wrapped in cling wrap with the ornaments and lights still attached. Geno let out a little laugh and shook his head.

_Leave it to Sid to find the most control freak way to put away a Christmas tree._

With that thought in mind, Geno grabbed the plastic evergreen by the base and began dragging/carrying it back into the house. It weighed a freaking ton.

_The Crosbys better like this tree._

Back inside the house he found Sid still frozen at the table.

"Well?" Geno looked at Sidney then at the tree. "Where do I put?"

This seemed to knock Sid out of his trance. Springing up from the table, he crossed the kitchen in quick strides  and hefted the other side of the tree.

"Let's put it up by the window in the living room."

Geno nodded his approval and started into the living room, Sid following him and holding up the back of the tree.

It took a bit of time and a good deal of cursing (mostly Geno), but they managed to get the tree upright, straight, and plugged in so the little twinkling lights were actually twinkling.

"Looks nice" Geno smiled crookedly. "What next?"

Sid was surprised by Geno's excitement. He thought Geno would be aching to go home and go back to bed. He felt bad making Geno stay up, especially because he was supposed to be going back to Russia today, and even worse that Geno was putting up a facade to try and hide that he was exhausted.

"Thank you for your help, but I think I can do the rest myself, you should go home and get some shut eye. Aren't you flying home after lunch?"

"Oh." Geno's mood suddenly dropped like a cinderblock out of an airplane. "Okay I get out of your hair. Goodbye Sidney. Merry Christmas."

He turned to go.

"Wait." Sid grabbed at his arm, forcing him to turn back. "Why are you sad all of a sudden?"

"Nothing important, don't want to be trouble."

"No tell me." Sidney was now genuinely concerned.

Geno looked downcast. "I'm not going home this year. Storm in Magnitogorsk. No planes landing."

Suddenly Sid felt horrible. Geno talked about going home for weeks. Talking about seeing his family, his friends, eating good food, "real" food as he called it, and most importantly, getting to see his grandmother, who was getting very old. Sidney could not imagine how crushed Geno would've been when his flight was cancelled. And now he was helping Sid decorate so his family could come for Christmas, and all Sid had done so far was complain about them visiting. If it was possible, Sid felt worse.

"Oh Geno," Sid reached in for a hug. "I'm sorry."

Geno stepped out of Sid's reach, obviously not currently on board with the hug idea. This was concerning, considering how Geno usually hugged Sid any chance he could get.

"No is okay. Christmas isn't even that big holiday in Russia. New Years bigger. Maybe go home next year for New Years."

Sid smiled and nodded, but they both knew full well that the league break is over way before New Years and that it would take a miracle for the Penguins bye-week to be New Years. 

"That would be fun. I know how much you miss your family."

Geno looked at the ground. "Change subject okay? We keep decorating?"

"Yeah okay." Sid nodded. "The rest of the decorations are up in the attic. You get those and start and I'll go wrap the presents to go under the tree?"

Geno smiled a little. "Divide and conquer. Got it." Then he started upstairs to the attic.

* * *

 

Honestly, Sidney wasn't exactly sure what he had gotten himself into when he saw Geno toddle past the office door with his box of Christmas decorations. But he told himself that Geno was a grown man despite how childish he could occasionally be, and turned back to the present he was wrapping. Everything was going to be fine.

That was of course before he heard the crash followed by some swearing that was surprisingly colourful, even for Geno.

"Geno!?" Sid started out of the office and down the stairs.

"I'm okay! Don't come down stairs!" Geno yelled back. "Really do not come down!"

Sid groaned. _Geno has definitely broken something._

"Geno? Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yes-do you have first aid kit?"

"Geno!" Sid rushed down the stairs expecting the worst, only to find Geno cradling his hand which steadily dripped blood, surrounded by little shards of porcelain. On the coffee table there was a mostly set up nativity scene that was missing it's main attraction: baby Jesus. Sid assumed that the porcelain shards were once the baby saviour.

"Oh Geno."

"Sorry." Geno looked mildly shell-shocked. "I killed baby Jesus, so small it slipped through my fingers and crash. I try to pick up pieces, but very sharp." He waved his wounded hand for evidence. "So sorry."

"I don't care about the nativity scene, let me see your hand." Sid ignored his apologies and reached for the hand that was dripping blood onto his hardwood floors.

The cut ran from the inside of his thumb to the middle of his palm, but thankfully wasn't deep enough for stitches. Sid led him into the washroom, using one hand to press tissues onto the cut and the other to dig out a few bandages. 

Despite some wincing, Geno stayed still as Sid cleaned the scratch and wrapped it. When he was done Sid patted Geno's arm and smiled softly.

"Thank you." Geno smile back, and Sid couldn't help but notice how strangely perfect Geno's crooked smile was. He suddenly had an intense urge to touch Geno's face, to trace the laugh lines and the scars.  Thankfully, Sid had some restraint, and kept his hands to himself.

Though Geno on the other hand, did not share this restraint, and cupped Sid's face with his uninjured hand.

Sid almost leaned into the hand, but caught himself and let out a nervous laugh.

"I should probably get back to wrapping presents."

Geno hummed in agreement, but did not remove his hand.

 _His hand is so warm._ Sid thought suddenly, and then crushed that thought before it could grow.

 _This is your teammate._  He reminded himself.  _You promised yourself you would never be interested in a teammate. You know how it will turn out._

Though as he looked at Geno's affectionate gaze, he couldn't help but think some promises were meant to be broken, and that there were exceptions to every rule.

Sid shook his head. Those thoughts were dangerous, especially with Geno. Geno would never reciprocate his feelings. Geno liked women, that he was sure of. Too many team celebrations at too many bars with too many pretty blondes had proved that.

 _And he's your friend._  Sidney reminded himself.  _One of your best friends. Don't fuck that up._

With that thought Sidney slid passed Geno and out of the washroom.

"I'll be upstairs if you need me."

* * *

 

Geno stood frozen in the bathroom. 

Had that really just happened?

He couldn't believe it. For a second Sid actually looked- what was the word? Open. Sid had looked open. Just for a moment he wasn't his usual emotional puzzle box, for a fleeting second he actually expressed more than a calculated emotion.

Geno was, he was surprised. Sid normally kept his emotions under lock and key; too worried about getting hurt to put himself out there.

And yet it had seemed that Sid was expressing, even just for a moment, affection. Affection towards Geno.

His heart soarded a thousand feet above him. There was a chance Sid reciprocated the same feelings Geno had for him. He had never felt this giddy.

 _Slow down._ Geno told himself.  _Don't go flying head first into this, or you will probably screw it up like most things._

_Sid is your teammate, and he is also Sid. You can't rush him, you know he will shut down if you do and then you will lose one of your best friends. It's safer to just let this stupid thought that Sid could ever find you desirable die._

Though as Geno stood in the middle of the bathroom, he knew that there was no way that his love towards Sidney was going to extinguish any time soon. It is hard to kill a fire that has been burning since his first year with the penguins. 

* * *

 

To be completely honest, Sid took twice as long as he knew he should've to wrap the gifts.  He just could not force himself to descend the stairs and face Geno. So he took his time wrapping.

He wrapped his mother's new set of oven mitts and sweater with razor sharp corners and curled ribbon on the top.

His sister's new goalie mask he had gotten specially painted had not one, but three bows on top.

The pattern went on and on. Each gift got more elaborately disguised in festive paper, just so Sidney could revel in his isolation a little longer.

Though eventually  every present was wrapped and every label was signed, and Sid realized he had to go downstairs.

With an arm load of presents Sid descended the stairs like a prisoner going to the gallows.

"Geno?" He called hesitantly from the last step, listening for sounds that would reveal his teammate. 

The house stayed silent. 

Had Geno left? 

 _No, he wouldn't_ ,  _not without saying goodbye._

Stepping carefully, Sid entered the living room, only to find it decorated like it belonged in a Sear's catalog. 

Geno had really outdone himself.

There were stockings hung on the mantel, mistletoe hanging in the doorways,  a wreath above the couch, and numerous other decorations spread about. 

For once, Sid's fancy house in the city looked like home.

Still a little shocked, Sid knelt and put the presents under the tree. He had to thank Geno for this. This, this was amazing.

_Now if only I knew where he has gone off to._

No sooner than he had thought it, Sid heard a thud on the roof, followed, unsurprisingly, by swearing.

_Found him._

Rushing outside, Sid found a sight that stopped him in his tracks. 

Two stories above him, his teammate was hanging up the final string of lights onto the eavestroughs.

He was so in shock, he didn't even notice Geno climbing down until he handed him the plugin. 

"You do honours, Captain." He gave Sid a crooked smile.

Sid took the cord from Geno then knelt to plug it into the extension cord, then watched as his house was bathed in golden light.

"Geno." Sid couldn't think of the words he needed to say. "Than-"

"No need." Geno slung an arm around Sid. "I know."

"No, I need to-"

"No, you need to get dressed. Your family is going to be here in an hour." Geno led him towards the door and then started down the sidewalk.

"Wait!" 

This time Geno stopped.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to apartment, house is all decorated. Should leave before family gets here."

Sid snorted. "Geno you are family. Stay. At least just for breakfast."

Geno looked at Sidney with giant puppy dog eyes and then smiled. "Okay I stay. Then they think you have friend."

Sid laughed. "Just get inside before I change my mind!"

Geno laughed as he trotted into the house and down the hallway to the kitchen. "Merry Christmas Sidney."

Sid closed the door behind Geno and then glanced out the window at the Christmas lights shining on his roof. "Merry Christmas Geno."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope that was fluffy enough.


End file.
